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The Squire of Gothos (episode)
The Enterprise is captured by Trelane, the childish ruler of Gothos. Summary En route to the Beta VI colony, the ''Enterprise'' must pass through a void, or "star desert" – a region of space where solar systems are not common, roughly 900 light years from Earth. While there, they discover a rogue planet comprised primarily of iron silica. Sulu prepares to steer around it when he suddenly vanishes. Seconds later, Kirk also disappears. The planet is extremely inhospitable. Despite this, it appears to host some form of life – someone transmits a clear, if somewhat archaic, greeting. Beaming down, a landing party discovers a zone of Earth-like conditions, and within it, a large fortified manor (or small castle). Inside is a collection of bizarre artifacts and decorations – and the frozen forms of Kirk and Sulu. Almost as soon as the missing officers are discovered, the door slams, and a harpsichord begins to play; seated there is a foppish figure in a blue coat and ruffled shirt. He introduces himself as General Trelane (retired), the Squire of Gothos. Trelane is friendly enough at first, but does not hesitate to make it clear that he is in control of the situation. When pressed, he resorts to crude bullying to make this point unmistakable. An escape attempt lasts a few brief moments before Telane returns the landing party, and a few more crew, to his drawing room. Several mistakes convince Kirk that Trelane is not omnipotent, and further lead him to conclude that some agency is assisting Trelane; a machine of some type. Fairly sure where it is, Kirk challenges Trelane to a duel -- and shoots the large mirror behind him. Kirk's guess is right, intricate machinery behind the mirror is destroyed, and much of Trelane's creation collapses; enabling the landing party to escape, and flee Gothos. The respite is brief. The Enterprise flees in the direction of Beta VI, but Trelane reveals that his power is more extensive than yet displayed -- he moves his planet Gothos several times to intercept the ship. Finally, Kirk realizes he must confront Trelane. And he does -- a bewigged Trelane has established himself as a judge, and this time, his instrumentality is unbreakable. Trelane plans to murder Kirk for the crime of opposing him. But it's all too easy for the powerful alien. Seizing on this, Kirk suggests Trelane needs a challenge, and offers to provide one, suggesting a hunt. Trelane hunts Kirk for a time, but soon enough captures him. As Kirk is about to die, salvation comes in the form of ... Trelane's parents. It seems that Trelane is essentially a naughty child who has overstepped his bounds. His parents, telling Trelane that it is "time to come in now", free the Enterprise and take Trelane away to be disciplined. Log Entries *''Ship's log, stardate 2124.5. First Officer Spock reporting for Captain James Kirk. We are orbiting the lone, unrecorded planet in the star desert. For four hours, we have made every possible instrument sweep, but Captain Kirk and Helmsman Sulu remain unaccounted for. I have placed the ship on Red Alert.'' *''Captain’s log, stardate 2125.7. Science Officer Spock reporting for Captain Kirk. We've completed 14th orbit of this planet without establishing contact with our missing officers or the parties sent to find them. Subspace communications remain blocked. However, by diverting impulse power to our sensors, we have made them operable and we have detected one small area on the surface which seems relatively stable.'' *''Captain’s log, stardate 2126.1, delayed report. The whole bridge crew are the unwilling guests of the creature who calls himself Trelane. We are weaponless, powerless, and our only hope of escape with the Enterprise lies in playing his games. I've decided to make my move with the 'field-of-honor' game, and everything depends on my one chance with the ancient dueling pistol. '' *''Captain’s log, stardate 2126.3. First Officer Spock reporting. Still no word from Captain Kirk on the surface below us. Waiting time is almost up. I will soon be forced to attempt departure, as per instructions. '' Memorable Quotes "Greetings and felicitations... hip-hip... hoorah? And I believe it's pronounced, Tally-ho!" "''I will entertain any theories, Mr. DeSalle. Any at all." : - Trelane and Spock "I must say, they make a perfectly exquisite display pair... but I suppose you want them back, now." : - Trelane, on Kirk and Sulu "Ah, yes – I've been looking in on the doings on your lively little Earth!" "Then you've been looking in on the ''doings nine hundred years past." "''Oh, really... have I made an error in time? How fallible of me! Oh, I did so want to make you feel at home – I'm quite proud of the detail." : - Kirk and Trelane "Stop that nonsense at once! Or you'll not be permitted to make any more planets!" : - Trelane's father "You see, we – meaning I and others have, to put the matter briefly – perfected a system by which matter can be converted to energy and back to matter again." "Like the transporter system aboard the ''Enterprise." "''Oh, crude example of an infinately more sophisticated process! You see, we can not only transport matter from place to place, but we can alter its shape – at will!" : - Trelane, describing some of his abilities to Kirk "That's a sample of the atmosphere outside my kindly influence. Now, you will behave yourself hereafter, won't you? Or I shall be very, very angry." : - Trelane "Anything you might say has already been taken down in evidence against you." : - Trelane "Where could he possibly come from? Who is this maniac?" : - Sulu "I object to you; I object to intellect without reason. I object to power without constructive purpose." "Oh, Mr. Spock, you do have one saving grace after all – you're ill-mannered! The human half of you, no doubt?" : - Spock and Trelane "I'm quaking, but I don't know whether it's with laughter or terror." : - McCoy "Oh, this is becoming quite tiresome; it's all so very ''easy." "''That's your problem, Trelane– ''everything is easy for you. It's given you a bad habit; you don't know it, but you have it... You don't think, Trelane, that's your trouble. You miss opportunities like your anger just then – and mine right now. Oh, you enjoy it, but you couldn't have accomplished it without me. And do you know why? Because you're a bumbling, inept fool." "''Take care, now!" "Here you have a chance to experience something really unique, and you're wasting it. You want to commit murder, go ahead! But where's the sport in a simple hanging?" "The ''sport?" "''Yes... the terror of murder; the suspense – the ''fun!" : - '''Kirk' and Trelane Background * The first draft of this episode's script was completed on , the same day the first draft for "Arena" was completed. The final draft for this episode was completed on 26 October for filming in mid-November. * The M-113 creature is among the trophies on display in Trelane's castle. Dr. McCoy (the creature's last defender in "The Man Trap") does a double-take and music from "The Man Trap" is played. * Barely visible before Trelane vaporizes it with the phaser is a strange bird-like creature with striped legs that is also in a display niche. It somewhat resembles the bird creature from the Talos zoo in "The Cage", but its exact identity is unknown. * Production designer Matt Jefferies says Trelane's castle was one of the projects of which he is most proud out of all his work in Star Trek. * Mr. Leslie (Eddie Paskey) is in the captain's chair when the crew first escapes Trelane. Curiously enough, he is the transporter officer five seconds before. Leslie will be in the big chair one more time, in "The Alternative Factor". * In his fight with William Shatner in the forest, William Campbell fell down and dislocated his shoulder. Fortunately, as he flung his arm up in his instinctive reaction to the excruciating pain, the shoulder popped back into its socket. * Production was held up in the quest for accuracy – William Campbell's first wig was a French hairpiece. He demanded that an English barrister's wig be found to fit his character. * A brief and effective split screen allows bars to appear and block Kirk's escape at the end of the show without having to rely on editing. * Trelane's parents do not seem to be aliens with the typical superiority complex we so often see from superbeings. Although they refer to Trelane's specimens as "pets", they also tell Trelane that, in fact, Humans are superior to them because they have spirit and that when he grows up, he will understand this. * Spock and Kirk clearly call the meteorologist Mr. "Yay-gur", but both McCoy and DeSalle say "Jay-gur". Based on the German spelling "Jäger" (which means "Hunter") the correct pronounciation would be "Yay-gur". * The "laser beacon", appearing previously in "Charlie X" and "The Galileo Seven", was reused as a sort of soldering tool by Kirk in "The Doomsday Machine". * The tune Trelane has Uhura play on the harpsichord is "Roses from the South" by Johann Strauss II, complete with decorative interpolations. When Campbell is playing the instrument it is obvious he is just randomly moving his fingers over the keyboard, but this works since we learn later that Trelane is making the instrument play with his powers, not actual musical ability. When first encountered, Trelane is 'playing' the sonata in C Major, K.159, by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). * Fans have long speculated about a link between Trelane and Q, and author Peter David even wrote a novel, "Q-Squared" predicated on this notion. No canon evidence exists to support this theory, but while many fans support the link others point out that Trelane, unlike Q, appears to need machinery to support his abilities. * The exact century in which Star Trek was set had not been determined during the filming of this episode. Kirk refers to people and events of the 18th and 19th century as being 900 years in the past, which could have placed the series in the 26th century or later. Nonetheless, taking into account that the images Trelane would see of Earth, traveling through space, would take centuries to reach many solar systems, even at light speed. Another element is the idea that, although Trelane could observe the Earth through his viewing scope, he could not know how substances tasted, felt or smelled, resulting in fire without heat and food and drink without flavor. *de Forest Reseach, Inc., the company who reviewed scripts for clearances and other related matters, noted in their commentary on the line "Then you've been looking in on doings nine hundred years past": "Other scripts have placed Star Trek c. 200 years in the future, e.g. 'Shore Leave'. That places this reference in the 13th century." * Trelane also throws in references to much older historical events, such as Hannibal's invaders, indicating that, although he is a child, he has already lived a very long life and has been watching our "lively little Earth" for many centuries. * The final hunt between Trelane and Kirk has similarities to Richard Connell's classic tale, "The Most Dangerous Game". * Trelane's threat that Kirk will "hang by the neck until dead, dead, dead" is a quote attributed to 19th century Judge Isaac C. Parker, though historians say Parker never actually uttered this while imposing death sentences. *A memo from Bob Justman to Gene Coon stated in part: "If we transport McCoy, Jaeger and DeSalle down to the surface of Gothos in the orange space suits that we used in "The Naked Time", then the audience will take a full half hour to stop laughing from what our people look like." *Curiously enough, Uhura refers to a "Spacefleet Command", even though the names Starfleet and Starfleet Command originated several episodes earlier in "Court Martial," and again in the two-part episode "The Menagerie". * VHS edition available through Amazon under ISBN 6300213226. The 2-episode DVD with "Shore Leave" is available under ISBN 6305754993. Links and References Regular Cast * William Shatner as Kirk * Leonard Nimoy as Spock * DeForest Kelley as McCoy * James Doohan as Scott * George Takei as Sulu * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura Guest Stars * William Campbell as Trelane * Richard Carlyle as Karl Jaeger * Venita Wolf as Teresa Ross * Michael Barrier as DeSalle * Eddie Paskey as Leslie * Barbara Babcock as Trelane's mother (voice) * Bart LaRue as Trelane's father (voice) References apple; Beta VI; Bonaparte, Napoleon; brandy; cat; cat-and-mouse game; Cinderella; court; Crusades; desert; dueling pistol; ego; energy; female; field-of-honor game; fire; French; French language; gender; General; geophysics; German; German language; Gothos; Grecian; Hamilton, Alexander; hanging; Hannibal; harpsichord; Heaven; Helen; "I'm a doctor, not a..."; Ilium; inkwell; insurrection; iron-silica; laser beacon; life support system; light warp; matter; meat; meteorology; mile; mirror machine; mouse; Nubian; oxygen; palm tree; Persia; powerful and godlike beings; prank; Quadrant 904; Queen of Sheba; Sheba; soldier; Spacefleet Command; squire; star desert; stardust; straw; subspace radio; sword; tornadic storms; Towers of Ilium; transporter system; treason; Trelane's alligator; trial; Vulcan, planet; waxworks; war galley; water; wine; wood; wood nymph External Links * Squire of Gothos, The de:Tödliche Spiele auf Gothos es:The Squire of Gothos fr:The Squire of Gothos nl:The Squire of Gothos sv:The Squire of Gothos